Uttarakhand has conserved the highest number of plant species, a milestone in conservation, according to a report released by the research wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department. According to the annual report on conserved species released on World Biodiversity Day, a total of 1943 species have been conserved through in situ and ex situ conservation measures in the year 2021–2022, across 6 centres in the state. These conservations centres are situated in Haldwani, Nainital, Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, Gopeshwar and Dehradun. The number of conserved species last year was 1576.
“This year the focus and theme were the conservation of endemic plant species,” says Chief Conservator Forest Sanjiv Chaturvedi, IFS. Endemic species are those which are found only in a particular geographical region and nowhere else in the world. If these endemic species disappear from their natural habitat, they will become extinct forever. Most of such species are already listed under the category of threatened or endangered species because of various types of biotic interferences and effects of climatic change. Some of the endemic species are those that are used in treating kidney patients.
These plant species have to be protected, exhorted Chaturvedi, not only from a biodiversity point of view as these species are unique but also because many other species of animals or insects depending on these species may also go extinct with these plants.
Speaking to The Daily Guardian Review, Chaturvedi further said that in the Forest Department has so far conserved 56 plant species endemic to the state and Indian Himalayan Region, of which 35 are near-endemic, 7 species are endemic to Uttarakhand, and 14 are endemic to Indian Himalayan Region. Some are theme are prominent endemic species.